Paper handling mechanism



H. HEFTI June 13, 1:939.

PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 17, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. BY if 7 4TTORNEYS.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. NW7

ATTORNEYS.

H. HEFTI PAPER HANDLING MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 17, 1958 June 13, 11939.

June 13, 1939. H. HEFTI PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM FIL Patented June 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAPER HANDLING MECHANISM Application August 17,

Claims.

The invention relates to sheet handling mechanism and more particularly to a mechanism for use in handling paper, for example, one or both sides of which are to be inspected.

Heretofore, it has been the usual practice to provide a separate machine for cutting the paper into sheets and then depositing these sheets in a pile at the entrance end of a sorter mechanism. This general prior practice entails a loss of time and labor in the handling of the paper, and in order to obviate this loss of time and to provide an apparatus in which cut sheets of various sizes may be fed directly to the sorter, I have provided a combined cutter and sorter apparatus in which cut sheets of various sizes may be readily formed and handled.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and more particularly defined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view through apparatus embodying the invention, parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view of the extension of the belt mechanism shown in plan in Fig. 4;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism shown in Fi 1;

Fig, 4 is a plan view of parts of the sorter mechanism;

Fig. 5 is a detailed sectional View taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a detailed sectional view taken on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 is a detailed view through the suction control valve mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 8 designates the frame of the machine, 9 a support thereon for the paper roll shaft I0, paper passing from said roll through a pair of feed rollers II and I2 and thence over a table [3 where it is acted upon at I4 by the knife of a rotary cutter I 5 whereby the web of paper is cut up into sheets of the desired length, the length of the sheet being dependent upon the rate of rotation of the cutter where the rate of feed between the feed rolls is constant.

The drive for the feed rolls and the cutter is from an electric motor I6 which connects by belt and pulley drive I! to a shaft I8 which carries a gear I9 that meshes with a gear 26 on the shaft 2| for the feed r011 II. The feed roll I2 rotates through its frictional contact with the paper.

The shaft l8 connects by a chain and sprocket drive 22 with a shaft 23 which is the drive shaft 1938, Serial N0. 225,302

of a variable speed gearing mechanism 24 of known construction whose driven shaft 25 is driven from said shaft 23 at various speeds by shifting of a regulator 26. The shaft 25 carries a sprocket 21 which connects by a chain 28 with 5 a sprocket 29 on the shaft 30 which carries the cutter I 5. Thus by varying the speed of the cutter shaft, sheets of various lengths may be cut.

The shaft 25 also carries a sprocket 3| which is connected by chain 32 with a sprocket 33 mounted on the drum member 34 of a one-way roller clutch shown more particularly in Figs. 5 and 6. The driven member 35 of this clutch is mounted on a shaft 36, and the members 34 and 35 are operatively connected together through one-Way operating clutch rollers 31 which are normally urged in a direction to engage said clutch by spring backed plungers 38 (the springs not being specifically shown), movement of the member 34 inthe direction of the arrow acting to drive the member 35 from the member 34 through the clutch rollers 31, the member 35 having the flat surfaces 39 which act as wedging surfaces under these conditions. Turning of the shaft 36 in the direction of the arrow and in the same direction as the drive member 34 when the power drive is off will serve to release the member 35 from the member 34 and permit the turning of the shaft 36 through a crank 46 whereby the angular position of the shaft 36 relative to the member 34 may be varied so that the timing of parts controlled by the shaft 36 may be varied relative to the member 34, the shaft 25, and consequently the cutter drive shaft 36.

It is to be understood that crank 46 is turned to adjust timings only when the machine is not running and is changed only when a different sized sheet is to be produced and that 49 may be made removable.

The shaft 36 carries a gear 4| which meshes with a gear 42 on a shaft 43 that carries the cams 44 for operating the suction valves that control the stopping of the sheet. As shown in Fig. 7, the valve 45 of any suitable construction is held in closed position by a spring (not shown) and is moved to open position by a tappet lever 46 which is operated by the cam 44, the valve controlling the suction in the suction pipe 41 which connects with the suction cups 48, one being shown.

The shaft 36 also carries a gear 49 which meshes with a gear 56 on a shaft 5! that carries a bevel gear 52 that meshes with a bevel gear 53 on a shaft 54 which connects by chain and sprocket drive 55 with a shaft 56 that connects 55 by bevel gears 51 and 58 with a shaft 59 carrying a roller 60 which forms the drive roller for the feed belts 6| that carry the cut sheets over the sorting table formed by said belts BI and hence over the suction cups 413 where on the operation of the valves 45 the sheets may be stopped so that they may be inspected for imperfections on the top side thereof. The defective sheets may then be rejected directly after in spection or at some later stage in the progress of the sheet. As herein shown the imperfect sheet may be thrown out by a gate member 62 pivoted at 63 and provided with a crank 64 which is moved by the inspector in any suitable manner as by the connection of suitable linkage (not specifically shown) with said crank and operable from the inspectors station adjacent the suction cup 48.

It has been previously noted that the angular position of the shaft 36 relative to the cutter drive shaft 30 may be varied with a result that the timing of parts controlled by said shaft may be varied. Consequently, the timing of the operation of the suction valve 45 may be varied, so that sheets of various lengths may be handled, the adjustment of the valve being accomplished by the simpleoperation of turning the crank 48 and permitting the various length sheets to be stopped at the proper position in front of the sorter at his station adjacent the suction cup 48.

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to any particular form or arrangement of parts except in so far as such limitations are included in the claims.

What I'claim as my invention is:

1. In a paper handling apparatus, the combination of a support for a supply roll of paper, means for continuously cutting paper from said roll into sheets, a sorter mechanism including a sorting table and a stop device, and means for operating said stop device in synchronism with said cutting mechanism.

2. In a paper handling apparatus, the combination of a support for a supply roll of paper, means for continuously cutting paper from said roll into sheets, a sorter mechanism including a sorting table and a stop device, means for operating said stop device in synchronism with said cutting mechanism, means for varying the length of cut sheets, and means for varying the time of of operation of said stop device in accordance with the length of the cut sheet.

3. In a paper handling apparatus, the combination of a feeding mechanism. for continuously feeding paper in web form, means for cutting the web into sheets, means for driving said cutting means, a sorting table onto which said out sheets are delivered including a series of conveyor belts, a stop device associated with said table for stopping the movement of said out sheets relative to said belts, and means operated by said cutter driving means for operating said stop device in timed relation with said cutting means,

4. In a paper handling apparatus, the combination of a feeding mechanism for continuously feeding paper in web form, a rotary cutter for cutting the web into sheets, means for driving said cutter, a sorting table onto which said out sheets are delivered including a series of conveyor belts, a stop device associated with said table for stopping the movement of the cut sheets relative to said belts, means operated by said outter driving means for operating said stop device including an angularly adjustable driving connection for varying the time of operation of said stop device relative to said cutter in accordance with the length of the cut sheet.

5. In a paper handling apparatus, the combination of a feeding mechanism for continuously feeding paper in web form, a rotary cutter for cutting the web into sheets, means for driving said cutter, a sorting table onto which said cut sheets are delivered including a series of conveyor belts, a stop device associated with said table for stopping the movement of the cut sheets relative to said belts, means operated by said cutter driving means for driving said conveyor belts and operating said stop device, said last named means including an adjustable oneway roller clutch.

HANS HEFII. 

